NWA strike begs question: Can any worker be replaced? - by ADAM GELLER, AP Wire
NEW YORK - "Strikes in July and August!" flashes the online ad, a pitch to recruit replacement nurses. "Apply now!"
When Northwest Airlines Corp. replaced its striking mechanics this past week, the move drew wide attention as a potential watershed moment: Could an employer replace scores of its highly skilled workers wholesale?
But the reality - hinted at by ads like this one from Healthcare Contingency Staffing Services Inc., which supplies replacement nurses to hospitals during strikes - is that many businesses have already figured out a variety of ways to swap or substitute for employees, either to cover in a short-term crisis or permanently.
It's a reality workers will have to get used to, labor experts say.